Top Five Most Inspirational People

Woody Allen.
His sarcastic jokes, his skeptical views, his movies, etc etc. Oh God, he’s my numero uno!

Jens Lekman
His songs inspired me in many ways. Reading his blogs, has successfully made me want to write even more. Because life is the opposite of Hallelujah, it’s the opposite of being you.

Nick Hornby
High Fidelity! About A Boy! How to be Good! Juliet Naked! He’s my favorite author. His knowledge in music and the way he writes, it just made me get highly addicted to him. Oh well, not him literally, but his works.

Larry David
He used to be a paralegal. Then, he did it.

Anna Wintour
Enough said. She never let anyone stay in her way.

December

Time flies.

It feels like yesterday, when I listened to Let it die by Feist on the New Year’s Eve.
And yes, without any consent from me, time flies.

I thought I’m gonna leave Malaysia for good, but here I am working here as Paralegal, a job I never thought about it before.

2011 is a year to remember.

I failed in many ways, I was lost and but now I found my way back.

I met some guys, I made new friends, I got robbed, I lost my ipod, my favorite bag, monopoly deal and so forth.

I spent three months in Singapore to learn that there’s no perfect life. The life I want, there is no shortcut.


I cant wait for 2012.
On my list so far;
India (16-26 February)
Laos (21-24 June)

The grass is greener on the other side

Whatever it is, don’t get jealous with other people’s life.

Please, promise me.

The grass looks greener on the other side and it will always be like that.

Do you like to watch How I Met Your Mother?

Do you remember one episode when everybody’s smiling on the picture?

Do you remember what was actually going on?

Yes, Marshall and Lily were having a complicated relationship. Ted’s parents were divorced but Ted’s mother has the tendency to share good news only, hence she hasn’t told Ted about that matter. Barney was competing with Robin and etc etc..

The grass looks greener on the other side; everybody’s smiling on the picture.

You don’t need to be jealous, because you don’t know what is actually going on.

Be thankful, whatever it is be thankful.

One of my favorite quotes from No one belongs here more than you by Miranda July;

“Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person's face as you pass on the street: those faces are for you. And the street itself, and the ground under the street, and the ball of fire underneath the ground: all these things are for you. There are as much for you as they are for other people. Remember this when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing.”

Cherish whatever you have right now, promise?

Just Kids

I spent my lunch hour drowning to the poetic words of Patti Smith.
I’d like to thank you, dear Kiddo, for giving me this book.
You told me, you gave me this book because you want me to remember you.

I was ignoring your words,
but today, I’d like to admit that I will remember you.

What we have right now won’t last forever.
I enjoy every moment with you,
it’s just too beautiful to live for a moment.

In the next five years or maybe ten years,
We’re gonna meet again and I will tell you that you and the book had successfully turned me to be melancholy.
I will tell you about the unspeakable charm you have.

I bid you goodbye since the beginning.
Kiddo, we’re just kids after all.



Yours truly,

Chika

blah

L,

I don’t wanna hear your complain.

Here I am, writing this letter to you, I just want to let you know that you and I are totally different type of travelers.

I want to travel because I want to see people, their cultures, foods, etc etc.

I don’t care if I need to stay in the place that you think it’s just too fugly for your standard.

Let me tell you something, if you want to stay in the five stars hotel go ahead, but you don’t really need to go to travel actually. What is the different between five stars hotel in Jakarta and in Bangkok? Do you get what I mean?

If Hong Kong people are rude or Chinese are impolite, I don’t care.

I want to know them.

I want to enjoy the unusual stuffs.

They don’t need to impress me, I go traveling not to be impressed, but to feel the differences.

I will accept all the good and the bad part of that particular country.

If you want to be impressed or if you want to receive the same treats like you have in your home, then don’t go out. Stay home or just go to the nearest mall.

I want to travel not for the sake because I can take a picture under Eiffel Tower or pretend to understand the meaning of Mona Lisa in Louvre; I want to travel because I want to see all those things that I can’t get in my country.

I want to enjoy every little thing they can offer to me.

So L, you better stay home or go to the mall.

And I,

I will travel the world, I will open my mind.

And you, who are having the same thoughts with me,

Let’s cheers for the joy the world can offer to us.

Because we’re not empty, we’re not empty, so come runaway with me now babyyyy.

=)

A little lost

This year I’ve messed everything up.
I tried to arrange my life properly, but I’m failed.
Shit happens,
But it happens continuously.

I hate plans.
I have given up planning.
I might gonna stuck with this job for a while,
but I don’t care.
You,
You’re having the same uncertainties with me.
You,
You’re not really sure on which path you have to go trough.
But,
You, you’re not brave enough to take unconventional chances.
You,
You like to control, you like everything in order; you like to meet the expectations that society has made for people in our ages.
You,
you are not sure, but because you’re on the right track; you think you know what you’re doing now.
In fact, you are not sure, just like me.

Why should I follow you?
Everything is relative, happiness is relative.

You can get a foot massage and feel happy, you can get $10,000 and feel sad.

if you cant put yourselves in my shoes,
I guess you’d better just leave me alone.

Don’t judge, I need a support.
Oh wait, I don’t need a support,
I just want someone to listen to me.
Don’t judge, I don’t need any support, but just listen and see how it goes.

I will make the most impulsive random decision I can make and see how it goes.
“Once you’ve lost everything that you are free to do anything”

Live the dream, Potato

My life seems like a rollercoaster lately.
Everything seems to go to different directions;
uncontrollable, exciting yet tiring.

I lost and gained both material and immaterial things.
I cried for one night,
laughed for another night.
I started to flirt with destiny,
I gave my sweetest smile to the strangers,
I frowned to my friends,
I cherished life then made fun of my own life.

I tried to turn the tragedy of my life into funny stories, because I would not take anything seriously anymore.

I dont give a damn about others,
I dont give a damn that I might going to regret this one day.

I dont have career, I will live a good life according to my instinct.

(who needs career, thats so mainstream (Emir, 2011)).

2012, I am going to explore the highest dream in the highest point.

"Things usually make sense in time, and even bad decisions have their own kind of correctness"
Miranda July


Until then,

Cheerio!

Little bo peep has found her sheep

She's back!
She's here!

She was lost, but now she's sitting here smiling happily.

"It feels good to be home", she said.

The witch was putting a spell on her, she had forgotten her true identity.
The witch feed her with illusion, artificial, camouflage and misleading identity towards herself.

She's back!
She will become the philosopher of her own life.
She will find the meaning of life, for her and others.
The good thing and the bad thing.
The good thing happens to bad people, vice versa!

She's not a lost sheep anymore. Stumbled to the witch's garden has helped her to overcome the illusion correctly.

Bad thing happens to good people, but LIFE IS FUN after all.

-Inspired by,
The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff

Prophetically

"But yeah, I think all of my songs are either based on personal experience or will be based on personal experience, because I do write a lot of songs prophetically. Is that the right word for it? I write them before they happen, and then I make them happen."

That's the interview between Jens Lekman and Marc Hogan on October 8, 2007, posted in Pitchfork.com.

I do listen to the songs prophetically. I feel deeply connected with the songs I'm listening to.

Lekman mentioned,"Sometimes it's not like I write very specific like that, it's more like I add an atmosphere almost to something that might have been quite awkward in my mind from the beginning. Something has happened and I want to force myself to think of it in a more positive way. And then I force myself to write something that convinces me that this is actually something pretty good or something that I learned something valuable from."

Believe it or not, I'm having the same thoughts like him. I listen and force myself to think in more positive way. I want to believe that something good will happen to me. Most of the time, I will listen to positive songs not those cheesy dramatically end of the world songs. Because life is good:)

Now I present to you, my current addiction;
BROADCAST

Broadcast

It's been few months since Trish Keenan passed away.

These few days, I keep listening to Broadcast.

The brummy hums of Trish Keenan still hypnotize me.

If things you have been hold on to, started to fall apart, it is okay to let your mind goes free for a while.

Let Trish's voice brings us to a dreamy afternoon.

An Argument With Myself

Hello you!

Let's say YAY for Friday!

This morning I'm having an argument with myself (not literary, though).

The second good thing about this Friday is Jens Lekman's new EP, An Argument With Myself.
It's been a long time Jens, it's good to hear you again :).

I haven't checked the lyric, but have listened to the tune, it made my day!

I believe I will have good things coming to me by now (The Secret).

Enjoy your Friday dear lads and lasses.


Yours truly,


Chika

Indefinite Hiatus part 2

Good Day Peeps!

My indefinite hiatus with Facebook and Twitter was officially failed last night.
Don't judge me, it doesn't mean I'm back to my old profession as stalker, but I'm using these two social networks to be more productive in writing.

Yeah!

Thanks for the support my friends. For those who have shared the link of my article in their page and two strangers who commented in the article. You guys have brighten my day.

Kiss!!!!

Indefinite Hiatus

Now I announce you my indefinite hiatus from Facebook and Twitter.

I’ll try to be more productive in writing instead of stalking.

So long people, until we meet again! :)

Clueless

I know, I'm supposed to work.
Fortunately, I have finished everything for today.
So here I am again, chatting my time away.

Writer's block is something usual for me. Maybe I think too much that's why I keep facing this problem quite often.

Today, I will talk about something unimportant for you, but quite important for me.

It started last Saturday. I slept over at my friend's apartment.
He only has TLC, AXN and Starworld in his TV and he was watching TLC over and over again so I decided to play with his laptop. He warned me in the beginning,"Chik, do not open anything weird or dangerous, this is my office laptop". (Hello, I am a girl).

So while he spent the night thinking about food in TLC and craving for some more food, I started to browse. I get bored with Facebook and Twitter, then I started to open the websites that he has bookmarked. Pitchforkmedia, Wikipedia and Time!

I browsed the Best and Worst list until I stumble in this article;
Happy Sweet 16: Top 10 Reasons Why Clueless is still awesome.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2084034_2084045_2083940,00.html

I was so shocked when I found out that Clueless was inspired by Jane Austen's book, Emma.

I called myself as Jane Austen's fan.
I was breathing in and out with Clueless during my teenage (awesome) years.
But I just knew about this fact last weekend.
I'm failed (sob.. sob..)

I bbm-ed my friend, the walking encyclopedia for movie, and he knows about this fact as well.
It seems I'm the last one to know.

I feel so Clueless.

Anyway, enjoy your monday and Happy Fasting People!

Yellow vs Red

09072011

BERSIH rally is happening today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I’m following the updates from Zan Azlee, my former lecturer; right now the streets in Kuala Lumpur are empty.

People are concerning this matter seriously. Everyone is waiting for the outcomes on what will happen next.

My colleague has decided to go to BERSIH rally, although he’s not sure whether he will be able to reach the venue, because the police have blocked some roads on the way to the city.

I think those who are involved in today’s rally well educated enough to think about this country’s future. Therefore, I am sure this rally is not simply random thoughts resulted from dissatisfaction.

Yes, BERSIH is really happening.

I was in Jakarta on May 1998, watched my father and my sister struggle to find a safe way to go home.

BERSIH reminds me of that tragedy; although I never wanted the people here will face the same tragedy like we had in 1998.

I hope this rally will ended peacefully.

I hope there will be no police wants to act like a “hero” and start to beat the crowd or whatsoever.

I hope this BERSIH rally will make some changes in Malaysia politics. I think this is the time for Malaysia to grow up.

Good luck,

No matter which color do you choose for today,Yellow or Red are the same. In the end, it is all about your home country.

Take care

HOME

I was born and raised in Jakarta. I am proud to be part of this enchanting oddball city.

Why?

Because you cant describe Jakarta with only one word.

Once you have a chance to stay there, you’re going to have love and hate relationship with this city.

You will always find something new in Jakarta; malls, restaurants, place to hangout, roadside foods, and expensive restaurant for the “socialite”, etc etc etc.

In Jakarta you can accidentally eat rat-meatballs for your lunch and have wagyu steak for dinner.

In Jakarta, on the way to the newest mall, you can see poor kids asking for money and luxurious car by your side.

Jakarta, the traffic jam, the chaos caused by the motorcycle, the economy crisis but people still buying cars endlessly.

Jakarta; full with idealist people who have concern with the future of Indonesia and people who have the heart for others.

You can find those people as easy as you find those who are sitting (sleeping) comfortably in the parliament house, who will pretend that they are thinking about the future of this country but (I think I shouldn’t say anything more).

I was born and raised in Jakarta. No matter how chaotic the city is, I am proud to be part of it. Here, I learned how to mingle easily with people from other races and religions. In Jakarta, I learned how to seize the day with my friends in the middle of hectic road. In Jakarta, I learned how people need to struggle for their lives. In Jakarta, I have a chance to watch how people making their histories. Economy crisis, May 1998, from Planet Hollywood until XXI, from Roti Bakar Edi to Social House, everything is there in Jakarta. Yeah, I’m facing love and hate relationship with this city and its going to be forever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKARTA!

Job Hunting

My dear fellow job hunters,

I know, Job hunting sucks!

Especially for fresh graduate who is trying her luck in foreign country.

Well, it’s okay.

I know this girl, she’s a good friend of mine.

She has wasted a month in this country.

She learned, although it’s a little bit but at least she has learned something.

How to get an interview?

There are tons of job sites, but do not press the quick apply button.

If you want to get an interview (and you are a foreigner without the official working permit or whatsoever), email the company.

Do a little bit of research about the company, and write it down in your cover letter that you’ve done a research about them.

She’s not an expert though, but she hopes it can help.

She got another job interview next Tuesday.

She really needs a bag full of lucks, from you and you and you and you.

Please pray for her

The Last Day

Dear Y & T,

The last two girls in my forever young era.
I'm gonna miss you girls.
Thank you for the unforgettable trips.
The T's bedroom moments at night, cheese crab madness, the dinner, the lunch, the birthdays, the break ups, the presents, the American Idol and many more.




good luck and until we meet again :)

The Break Up

Why do we need to find a good reason to break up with someone?

The reason is not only for that particular person, but you need to explain it to your family, friends, colleague, etc etc.

Then you’re gonna come out with the most harmless reason.

You can’t simply say, “I feel like breaking up with you.”

You have to find a good reason.

Hiding the truth, find the most reasonable excuse.

It’s funny how life teaches us to lie.

White lies.

Bid Adieu

When you’re about to leave one city and you’ve been staying here for 6 years and 8 months, it’s alright to feel a bit mellow.

I bid farewell to KL from Tarie’s almost empty room.
Trying to remember the highs and the lows;
the tiny and the huge moments together.

From the girl with swollen eyes and messy hair who landed in KLIA turns into the girl with the torn in her sides.
The actual plan was Kuala Lumpur for four years.
I was just too afraid to move, Kuala Lumpur is too comforting.

I met a mean girls’ moment, I shared the laughs with my best friends. I met some guys. I saw this and that. First kiss, the broken-hearted, the silly moments, the goodbyes and the hellos and so forth

Oh how I’m gonna miss KL.

Yesterday was my last (official) day at work.
I bid farewell to Blueberry Boutique, Bangsar.
I bid farewell to the current drama.
I bid farewell to you my old blanket, the comfort zone.
I bid farewell to you my forever young lifestyle.

Because I’m ready for the new country, I hope it will last longer than a month.
I’m ready for you and yous.

Farewell KL,

You’ll always in my heart.